Carrier-envelope phase sensitive photoelectron emission induced by sub-10-fs laser pulses

We present a simple phenomenological model and its consequences for explaining the recently observed sensitivity of multi-photon-induced surface photoelectron emission to the carrier-envelope phase of a laser pulse. We discuss the limitations of the model suggested by time-resolved measurements of the photoelectron emission process induced by sub-10-fs laser pulses giving thus new insight into the only laser-solid interaction process studied by controlled optical waveforms so far. (author)